Move-In Cleaning Business: Profit per 30-Pyeong Job

“New builds pay ₩10,000 per pyeong, and one helper costs ₩120,000 a day. You work a lot but almost nothing is left.” A Naver blogger who does move-in cleaning and grout work wrote this on April 2, 2021 (Naver blog ramses1007). On the other hand, Kim Cheong-ho, who has 12 years in cleaning, said his net profit grew from ₩1.25 million in his first month to ₩8.36 million in his fourth (JoongAng Ilbo, Nov 2021).

The reality in one line: after referral fees and wages, the owner may keep close to ₩0 per job unless they work on site themselves.

What this post gives you: a profit table for one 30-pyeong job built from published figures, three cases (success, stall, failure), a 4-week start plan, and our existing legal, registration and dispute-prevention notes. (Information as of October 2026.)

1. 30-second summary: what is the answer?

Good fit: people who have stamina, work on site themselves, and can market with photos and reviews. Poor fit: people who plan to send staff only and rely on high-fee order agencies.

2. How much is left from one 30-pyeong job?

Formula: price × size − referral fee − helper wages = owner’s share. The price (₩10,000 per pyeong), wage (₩120,000 per person) and fees (10% and 20%) all come from the ramses1007 blog.

The table compares a 3-person team where the owner is one of the three with a team of 3 hired cleaners only. Supplies and fuel are covered in the monthly example below.

Chart made by kzk.kr. Figures from Naver blog ramses1007 (2021-04-02).

Monthly example (goojic, 2025 estimate): ₩380,000 × 14 move/move-in jobs = ₩5.32M. Adding home and office cleaning gives monthly revenue of ₩7.72M.

Monthly costs are ₩5.05M (wages ₩2.6M, supplies ₩0.9M, vehicle ₩0.6M, marketing ₩0.4M, insurance ₩0.25M, and others), which leaves ₩2.67M pre-tax. The same post says off-season revenue falls to 60–70% of peak (goojic).

Takeaway: at the same price, the share of fee-free direct jobs and whether the owner works on site decide the profit.

3. What happened in three published cases?

Case 1 (success): ₩8.36M net in the fourth month

JoongAng Ilbo (Nov 2021), citing an interview on the YouTube channel “Yeolhyeonnama,” reported on Kim Cheong-ho, who left an online ad agency at age 30 to start a cleaning business. His net profit was ₩1.25M in month 1, ₩2.56M in month 2, ₩3.8M in month 3, and ₩8.36M in month 4, when he had apartment move-in jobs.

At the time of the interview he said he made over ₩10M a month. He named marketing as the key.

When competitors copied his approach, he spent six months learning photography to improve his on-site photos. These are his own statements, not verified accounts.

Case 2 (stall): “almost nothing is left”

The ramses1007 blogger (2021-04-02) wrote that the work is easy to enter because a car, chemicals, a vacuum and rags are enough to start. However, most jobs come through channels that take 10–20%, and when three people clean a 30-pyeong unit, little is left after wages. The post’s title includes the line “I’m thinking of quitting.”

Case 3 (failure): a ₩40M equipment loan, closed in 4 months

In community reviews collected by goojic, Mr. S in Suwon borrowed ₩40M for equipment.

On top of the interest burden, a worker broke a customer’s belongings and insurance did not cover it. He sold his gear at half price and closed in July 2023, four months after starting.

The same collection includes a Daegu case where 50,000 flyers brought 2 inquiries, and an Ansan case that spent ₩37M on equipment, including ₩8M on one steam machine. The original posts are not linked, so treat these as secondhand quotes.

What separates the three: the success built its own marketing channel for direct jobs, the stall relied on fee-based channels, and the failure grew equipment and fixed costs before it had enough jobs.

4. Where do jobs come from?

• Realtors, moving companies and interior firms: they know moving dates first. ramses1007 puts the usual fee at about 10%.
• Cleaning order agencies: work can be steady, but the fee is 20%. As the table shows, the owner’s share can drop to ₩0.
• Your own marketing (blog, social media, map apps): no fee. As in Case 1, before/after photos from the same angle matter most. Get the customer’s consent first.
• Move-in calendar: customers cluster in a new complex’s designated move-in period. Tie your bookings to the pre-inspection schedule.
• Flyers: one Daegu case got 2 jobs from 50,000 flyers. Test a small batch first.

To add revenue beyond move-in jobs, see window cleaning and mattress cleaning. To practice alone on small units first, start with studio apartment cleaning.

5. What equipment do you buy first?

Image made by kzk.kr (based on the Housing Act pre-inspection rules and the healthy-housing construction standards).

Buy now:

• Commercial wet/dry vacuum: construction dust is so fine that household vacuum filters clog quickly.
• Steamer and brushes: for grout, drains and bathroom scale.
• Scrapers: remove paint and silicone from glass and floors. Watch the angle so you don’t scratch the surface.
• Window-track brushes and a narrow suction nozzle: clear sand from sliding-window tracks.
• Ladder, safety shoes, gloves and masks: for work at height and dust.
• Smartphone camera: for before/after records. It is the cheapest dispute-prevention tool.

Buy later: carpet extractor, pressure washer, 1-ton truck, vehicle wrap. In goojic’s example, vehicle costs alone are ₩10.12M, nearly half of the ₩22.97M total.

Buy them once jobs are steady. Over-investment was also the cause of failure in Case 3.

6. How do registration and permits work?

You must register within 20 days of starting business (Value-Added Tax Act, Article 8), via Hometax or a tax office. The usual industry code is 749300 “general building cleaning,” but its description says that post-construction cleanup of new buildings falls under 452200 (other building completion work). If new-build move-in cleaning is your main work, ask the tax office which code applies.

A “building sanitation management business” under the Public Health Control Act cleans buildings used by the public and must be reported to the local government. According to the Ministry of Government Legislation’s EasyLaw answer, which cites the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s 2025 guide, businesses that only clean individual units or do move-in cleaning do not need to report. Expanding to whole commercial or office buildings may change that.

Operating without the required report can bring up to 1 year in prison or a fine of up to ₩10M, so check with your district office before expanding. The equipment standard for reporting includes 2 floor polishers (25 cm diameter or larger), 2 vacuums, and safety belts, helmets and ropes (Enforcement Rule, Annex 1).

You can apply on Gov24 for free.

7. How do you handle new-home air quality?

Image made by kzk.kr (based on Indoor Air Quality Control Act guideline values).

• Published test results: under the Indoor Air Quality Control Act, builders of new apartments must measure indoor air and post the results for 60 days, starting 7 days before move-in. Tell customers to check the management office notice board.
• Bake-out standard: heat the unit to 33–38°C for 8 hours, then ventilate for 2 hours, and repeat at least 3 times.
• Seoul survey: in a 2025 survey of 345 households in 50 complexes, the Seoul Institute of Health and Environment found that bake-out and similar steps cut toluene by 55.4% and formaldehyde by 34.7% on average. For radon, it said running the ventilation system works better.

Cleaning teams can open windows, leave cabinet doors open and remove leftover packaging. Do not advertise that you “remove sick building syndrome.”

8. How do you start, step by step?

9. How do you prevent customer disputes?

The Korea Consumer Agency reported 1,204 relief requests about cleaning and sewer-sanitation services from 2023 to Q1 2026 (1,066 for cleaning). The main causes were poor service quality (42.8%) and demands for extra charges (20.5%) (Yonhap News TV, 2026-07-14).

A typical case is a contract made only by phone or online, followed by an extra charge demanded on site and a refused refund. Quote in person, agree on extra charges in advance, take the balance after inspection, and keep before/after photos.

Get liability insurance too, in case a customer’s belongings are damaged as in Case 3.

10. FAQ

Can I do this alone?

You can, but a 2–3 person team is more efficient for finishing a whole empty home in a day. Start by practicing alone on small units such as studios.

How many jobs do I need a month?

In the profit table, a direct 30-pyeong job leaves the owner ₩60,000 (with 2 helpers, before supplies and fuel). Divide your income target by the amount left per job to get the number of jobs you need. In goojic’s example, 14 move/move-in jobs a month plus other cleaning left ₩2.67M pre-tax.

Do I need to report as a building sanitation business for move-in cleaning?

According to EasyLaw, businesses that only clean individual units or do move-in cleaning do not need to report. If you expand to managing commercial or office buildings, check with your district office.

Which industry code should I use?

Usually 749300 (general building cleaning), but new-build cleanup may fall under 452200. Confirm with the tax office.

What if a customer is unhappy with the result?

Review the before/after photos and checklist together, and re-clean any missed areas right away. If that doesn’t settle it, refer the customer to the 1372 consumer counseling center.

11. What to read next (cleaning series)

1. Studio apartment cleaning: small units you can start alone
2. House cleaning: regular jobs that build repeat customers
3. Mattress cleaning: an add-on service for move-in jobs
4. Window cleaning: the next step into commercial buildings

Sources

• JoongAng Ilbo – man who quit at 30 to start cleaning, “₩10M net a month” (Nov 2021)
• Naver blog ramses1007 – move-in cleaning and grout start-up diary (2021-04-02)
• goojic – cleaning business start-up costs (2025 estimate, with case collection)
• Yonhap News TV – Korea Consumer Agency cleaning-service advisory (2026-07-14)
• EasyLaw – building sanitation business reporting Q&A
• Gov24 – public health business report
• NTS Hometax
• Industry code 749300
• Housing Act Art. 48-2 (pre-inspection)
• Healthy-housing construction standards, Annex 2
• Seoul – new apartment indoor air survey press release
• Seoul – indoor air quality guide
• EHTIS – Indoor Air Quality Control Act guide
• Korea Consumer Agency

Last updated October 30, 2026. Case figures are personal statements or secondhand summaries, and no income is guaranteed. Recheck prices with local quotes.